Education:

Caleb hails from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, where he began music at an early age. Singing and playing guitar in his father’s church choirs ultimately led to him picking up the trombone in middle school band. Since that fateful day, Caleb has earned a Bachelor of Music Education Degree from the Florida State University where he studied with Dr. John Drew. He completed a Master of Music in Trombone Performance and a Doctor of Musical Arts in Trombone Performance from the University of Southern Mississippi under the tutelage of Dr. Ben McIlwain.

U.S. Marine Corps:

Between his undergraduate and graduate studies, Caleb was accepted into the Marine Corps Music Program. He enlisted in 2015 and shipped to bootcamp at Marine Corps Recruit Depot Parris Island, SC. Upon completion of recruit training, Caleb traveled to Marine Combat training, the Naval School of Music, and eventually landed in his assignment at the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing Band in Cherry Point, NC. During his assignment, Caleb performed in various ensembles including concert and ceremonial bands, brass band, jazz band, brass quintet, and rock band. He was also awarded the billet of Assistant Enlisted Conductor. In this role, Caleb rehearsed, planned, and led the Band on numerous military and civilian commitments. Apart from the musical duties, Caleb served as the non-commissioned officer in charge of the band’s audio and visual section which provided recording, live sound reinforcement, and concert lighting to fit any need that the band required. He also drove the U.S.M.C. Coach Bus across country delivering the band to numerous commitments. During his time in North Carolina, Caleb served as a brass technician and trombone lesson instructor at New Bern and West Carteret high schools and performed as Principal Trombonist with the Wilmington Symphony Orchestra.

Graduate School:

After one tour of active duty, Caleb left North Carolina to attend the University of Southern Mississippi to earn a masters degree. Besides course work, Caleb worked as a graduate teaching assistant for the trombone studio where he taught major and non-major trombone lessons to undergraduate students, led masterclasses, conducted the trombone choir, coached various chamber ensembles, and taught the low brass methods course for undergraduate music education students.

Teaching and Performing:

Owenby currently serves as the Assistant Professor of Trombone and Assistant Director of Athletic Bands at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. In this role Dr. Owenby teaches the trombone studio comprised of music and non-music majors, directs the University Marching Blazers and Blazer Band pep bands alongside Dr. Sean Murray (Director of Bands) and Dr. Gene Fambrough (Professor of Percussion and Assistant Director of Bands). His other duties include teaching brass methods in the spring semesters, performing with the faculty brass quintet and the newly formed UAB BrassWorks ensemble. BrassWorks is a brass fusion ensemble with two trumpets, trombone, saxophone and piano playing classical brass literature and jazz.

Dr. Owenby regularly performs throughout the school year with the various UAB faculty ensembles. He recently performed Dr. William Price’s “Three Statements for Tenor Trombone” Mvt. 1 Billy’s Lament for the Alabama Composers Guild. He is preparing to perform the entire work at the Pensacola State College ComposerFest in September 2026.

Other noteworthy performances include Chamber Music at Aieva where he performed “Radiant Spheres” by Biedenbender, a world premier of “Skybound Kingdom” by Ben Dondanville at the 2026 International Trumpet Guild Conference at the Eastman School of Music, “Fandango” by Joseph Turrin with Dr. Zingara and the UAB Wind Symphony, and “Fantastic Polka” with the UAB Symphony Band. ‍

Before coming to UAB, Owenby has served as the Brass Instructor at Jones College in Ellisville, Mississippi. In this position, he teaches applied lessons to all of the brass music majors, non-majors brass lessons, leads a brass ensemble, and assists the band directors with sectional rehearsals for the marching, jazz, and concert bands. He maintains a private low brass studio comprised of local middle and high school students and is an active performer regularly performing with the Mississippi Symphony, Gulf Coast Symphony, Meridian Symphony, Pensacola Symphony, and the Capitol City Big Band.

Hobbies:

When Caleb is not practicing, teaching, or spending time with family, he is probably in his garage grinding metal into functional tools! What started as an intrigue has grown into a full blown hobby. Caleb sells his knives and tools as they are finished and loves taking on commissions. Here is some of his recent work!